Brick Memorial Falls to Phillipsburg In Group IV Final

Over the years, Brick Memorial and Phillipsburg have dueled often, whether in regular season matches where they challenged each other's dominance or in the state team tournament.

The matches have been electric, held in front of packed houses of some of the state's most intense wrestling fans. That includes last year, when the Mustangs beat Phillipsburg to advance to the NJSIAA Group IV final.

When Brick Memorial and Phillipsburg faced off for the NJSIAA Group IV championship at Pine Belt Arena on the campus of Toms River North on Sunday, it was no less electrifying. The teams traded bout for bout, score for score, and in the end, the Stateliners won this round, 29-27, to take home their 17th state championship.

It was a frustrating ending for Brick Memorial and coach Dan O'Cone, who had few words after the match.

"You can't lose at 113, with a sixth-place state finisher, and you can't lose at 120, with a state-ranked wrestler, if you want to win," O'Cone said. It was those weight classes that closed and opened the match against Phillipsburg.

Joe Ghione, the Mustangs' 113-pounder, took it hardest of all -- not surprising when the team's hope of winning its eighth state group championship fell on the shoulders of the sophomore.

Ghione took the mat against Zach Fisher with Brick Memorial leading 27-26 and the arena rocking with fans of both teams chanting and cheering and the mat ringed with spectators.

Fisher came out aggressively, attacking and scoring a takedown 29 seconds into the bout. Fisher kept up his aggressive battling, taking a 4-0 after two periods after scoring a reversal in the second.

With Brick Memorial fans chanting "Joey! Joey!" Ghione fought back, scoring a takedown in the third period, but Fisher reversed him to go ahead 6-2. Ghione battled and scored a reversal of his own to close the gap to 6-4, but time ran out as he tried to score one last takedown and set off a celebration by the Stateliners.

It was a crazy ending to a crazy match. Three bouts earlier, Brick Memorial's Tyler Poling was awarded a disqualification at heavyweight after officials ruled he had been slammed to the mat by Phillipsburg's Anthony Pare. Pare was leading the bout 6-1 at the time and picked up Poling, trying to throw him, but dropped Poling on his head. After two minutes of injury time, it was determined that Poling could not continue. Poling sat on the bench with a dazed look on his face through the remainder of the match.

Afterward, O'Cone said Poling was going to be taken to the hospital for further evaluation of a possible concussion.

"I feel really bad for Anthony," said Phillipsburg coach Dave Post. "He was in absolute tears after that happened. He just goes out and wrestles full speed" but never with any intent to hurt anyone, Post said.

With the arena in an uproar after the ruling of the slam, the 106-pounders took the mat. Brick Memorial's Sean Millea was wrestling with his left arm heavily wrapped from hand to elbow, and Stephen Friedman took full advantage, pinning him in 2:45 to counter the six points that resulted from the disqualification.

"We had to have the fall," Post said, praising Friedman's effort.

Aggressive wrestling staked Phillipsburg to a 14-0 lead. Andrew Kaluzny rallied from a 4-0 deficit to stun Sean Stephenson at 120 pounds, winning 6-4 with a takedown in the last seconds of the bout. Max Elling pinned Connor Maliff in the second period at 126, and Jimmy Schuitema scored a tech fall in the second period against Griffin Carney at 132.

Brick Memorial responded with Alec Donovan, who bumped up a class, scoring takedowns in the first and third periods to beat Anthony Johnson 4-2 at 138 pounds. Then freshman Cliff Ruggiero put on a show at 145 pounds in a 12-9 decision over Jake Kocsis. Kocsis nearly pinned Ruggiero in the first period, but the freshman forced himself up into an arch like a contortionist and stepped out of Kocsis' hold. Kocsis also fought off repeated pin attempts by Ruggiero.

Brick Memorial took an 18-14 lead at 170 pounds, when Tyler Richardson caught Devin Grade and pinned him early in the third period. But Phillipsburg refused to go away, and in the end walked away with the crown.

Bout-by-bout results

120: Andrew Kaluzny (P) d. Sean Stephenson,  6-4
126: Max Elling (P) p. Connor Maliff,  3:39
132: Jimmy Schuitema (P) tf. Griffin Carney,  16-0
138: Alec Donovan (BM) d. Anthony Johnson,  4-2
145: Cliff Ruggiero (BM) d. Jake Kocsis,  12-9
152: Evan Berti (BM) d. Victor Delmonico, 1-0
160: Nick Costa (BM) d. Joe Moyer, 5-3 OT
170: Tyler Richardson (BM) p. Devin Grade,  4:21
182: Shaun Maloy (P) d. Jarred Eccles,  11-4
195:Anthony Miller (BM) d. Derek Pierson, 4-3
220: Brandon Hull (P) d. Matt Moore,  2-1
Hwt: Tyler Poling by DQ over Anthony Pare
106: Stephen Friedman (P) p. Sean Millea,  2:45
113: Zach Fisher (P) d. Joe Ghione,  6-4